𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 (𝙵𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙱𝚡𝙱)

Track 21 | 𝗜𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗮

"God, I fucking hate you!" I yelled, struggling to keep up with the fast, nimble canine. The weather came down in droves, but it felt refreshing, almost. My eyelids and lips were repeatedly washed and rinsed with rainwater and I could barely see or say anything. I just kept chasing after the blurred mirage of the calico-furred dog running ahead of me.

Our hands separated as we blazed down a street crosswalk, the raindrops illuminated in white and orange colors from the blinding headlights of an oncoming vehicle. Luckily enough, Ari and I had just dodged it, the sound of a blaring car horn making up for our near-death experience. Ari screamed with thrill, holding his arms out wide and pointing his face up to the sky, bathing in the rain as he dashed through it like a kid in a summertime sprinkler.

I wasn't having as much fun as him, but the sight was fairly enjoyable to watch. 

Ari spun around and reached for me, grabbing my hand once again. With me by his side, our legs sprinting tirelessly and our feet splashing through several deep puddles, Ari raised his paws in the air and howled at the top of his lungs, causing me to do the same. 

I guess the April weather compensates for something, at least. I felt strangely rejuvenated; alive, young, and free. Not because of the textbook, coming-of-age moment that I was currently experiencing, but because of the person I got to experience it with.

I really do like Arizona. He makes me feel different whenever I'm around him.

It's a good different. 

We had finally arrived at Rian's apartment, and after sheltering beneath the arch of the front doors, I texted Eden that we were here. There wasn't that much space to hide from the weather, raindrops were already coating my phone screen. Getting an 'ok' back from her, I shoved my phone back into my pocket and looked over at Ari. He was staring up at the cloudy gray sky with his mouth open and his tongue out, feeling the rain on his tastebuds.

"You could get sick doing that," I chuckled, leaning up against the glass window of the door and crossing my arms.

"Trust me, I could destroy my own health in much cooler ways," he quipped, looking back over his shoulder at me cunningly. 

That was when, just out of my peripheral vision, the ladder to the fire escape had dropped down from the heavens to our level, hitting the concrete. Ari and I both jerked our heads over in its direction, hearing the godly words of Rian call out from above, "Up here, assholes."

Ari glanced back at me and raised his eyebrows, leaving the shade and breaching back into the rain. I followed him down the steps of the apartment and around the side of the staircase. He climbed up the ladder first with me close behind. Rian fled back into his apartment complex through the window, escaping the weather. He wasn't as drenched as the two of us.

"I think I'm done with climbing today," Ari grunted with exhaustion, reaching the first platform and holding his paw out for me. I graciously took his hand with a laugh, ascending to his level. We both then walked up the several flights of stairs on the fire escape to the floor where Rian lived.

Before Ari could make it through the window, we were interrupted by: "Nuh-uh, nope." Rian poked his head out and strictly outstretched his paw, halting us. He then unfolded a towel and wrapped it around Ari's shoulders, patting him on the back. "Ok, you're good."

"Thanks, Ri," Ari smiled, climbing past him through the window. 

Rian then grabbed another towel from underneath him and handed it to me. I nodded and slung it around my neck, but before I could be allowed inside, Rian blocked the entrance with his body, asking, "Why were you two together?"